Page 505

Chapter 47

League With the Gibeonites

From Shechem the Israelites returned to their encampment
at Gilgal. Here they were soon after visited by a strange
deputation, who desired to enter into treaty with them. The
ambassadors represented that they had come from a distant country,
and this seemed to be confirmed by their appearance. Their
clothing was old and worn, their sandals were patched, their
provisions moldy, and the skins that served them for wine bottles
were rent and bound up, as if hastily repaired on the journey.
In their far-off home—professedly beyond the limits of Palestine—
their fellow countrymen, they said, had heard of the
wonders which God had wrought for His people, and had sent
them to make a league with Israel. The Hebrews had been
specially warned against entering into any league with the
idolaters of Canaan, and a doubt as to the truth of the strangers’
words arose in the minds of the leaders. “Peradventure ye dwell
among us,” they said. To this the ambassadors only replied,
“We are thy servants.” But when Joshua directly demanded of
them, “Who are ye? and from whence come ye?” they reiterated
their former statement, and added, in proof of their sincerity,
“This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses
on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it
is dry, and it is moldy: and these bottles of wine, which we
filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our
garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long
journey.”
These representations prevailed. The Hebrews “asked not
counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with
them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the
princes of the congregation sware unto them.” Thus the treaty
was entered into. Three days afterward the truth was discovered.
“They heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt

Page 506

among them.” Knowing that it was impossible to resist the
Hebrews, the Gibeonites had resorted to stratagem to preserve their
lives.
Great was the indignation of the Israelites as they learned
the deception that had been practiced upon them. And this was
heightened when, after three days’ journey, they reached the
cities of the Gibeonites, near the center of the land. “All the
congregation murmured against the princes;” but the latter refused
to break the treaty, though secured by fraud, because they had
“sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel.” “And the children
of Israel smote them not.” The Gibeonites had pledged
themselves to renounce idolatry, and accept the worship of
Jehovah; and the preservation of their lives was not a violation
of God’s command to destroy the idolatrous Canaanites. Hence
the Hebrews had not by their oath pledged themselves to commit
sin. And though the oath had been secured by deception, it was
not to be disregarded. The obligation to which one’s word is
pledged—if it do not bind him to perform a wrong act—should
be held sacred. No consideration of gain, of revenge, or of
self-interest can in any way affect the inviolability of an oath or
pledge. “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord.” Proverbs 12:22. He that “shall ascend into the hill of the Lord,” and
“stand in His holy place,” is “he that sweareth to his own hurt,
and changeth not.” Psalms 24:3; 15:4.
The Gibeonites were permitted to live, but were attached as
bondmen to the sanctuary, to perform all menial services. “Joshua
made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for
the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord.” These
conditions they gratefully accepted, conscious that they had been at
fault, and glad to purchase life on any terms. “Behold, we are
in thine hand,” they said to Joshua; “as it seemeth good and
right unto thee to do unto us, do.” For centuries their descendants
were connected with the service of the sanctuary.
The territory of the Gibeonites comprised four cities. The
people were not under the rule of a king, but were governed
by elders, or senators. Gibeon, the most important of their towns,
“was a great city, as one of the royal cities,” “and all the men
thereof were mighty.” It is a striking evidence of the terror with
which the Israelites had inspired the inhabitants of Canaan, that
the people of such a city should have resorted to so humiliating
an expedient to save their lives.

Page 507

But it would have fared better with the Gibeonites had they
dealt honestly with Israel. While their submission to Jehovah
secured the preservation of their lives, their deception brought
them only disgrace and servitude. God had made provision that
all who would renounce heathenism, and connect themselves with
Israel, should share the blessings of the covenant. They were included
under the term, “the stranger that sojourneth among you,”
and with few exceptions this class were to enjoy equal favors and
privileges with Israel. The Lord’s direction was—
“If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not
vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto
you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.”
Leviticus 19:33, 34. Concerning the Passover and the offering of
sacrifices it was commanded, “One ordinance shall be both for
you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth
with you: . . . as ye are, so shall the stranger be before
the Lord.” Numbers 15:15.
Such was the footing on which the Gibeonites might have
been received, but for the deception to which they had resorted.
It was no light humiliation to those citizens of a “royal city,”
“all the men whereof were mighty,” to be made hewers of wood
and drawers of water throughout their generations. But they had
adopted the garb of poverty for the purpose of deception, and
it was fastened upon them as a badge of perpetual servitude.
Thus through all their generations their servile condition would
testify to God’s hatred of falsehood.
The submission of Gibeon to the Israelites filled the kings of
Canaan with dismay. Steps were at once taken for revenge upon
those who had made peace with the invaders. Under the leadership
of Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem, five of the Canaanite kings
entered into a confederacy against Gibeon. Their movements
were rapid. The Gibeonites were unprepared for defense, and
they sent a message to Joshua at Gilgal: “Slack not thy hand
from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and
help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the
mountains are gathered together against us.” The danger threatened
not the people of Gibeon alone, but also Israel. This city
commanded the passes to central and southern Palestine, and
it must be held if the country was to be conquered.
Joshua prepared to go at once to the relief of Gibeon. The
inhabitants of the besieged city had feared that he would reject

Page 508

their appeal, because of the fraud which they had practiced; but
since they had submitted to the control of Israel, and had
accepted the worship of God, he felt himself under obligation to
protect them. He did not this time move without divine counsel,
and the Lord encouraged him in the undertaking. “Fear
them not,” was the divine message; “for I have delivered them
into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before
thee.” “So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people
of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.”
By marching all night he brought his forces before Gibeon
in the morning. Scarcely had the confederate princes mustered
their armies about the city when Joshua was upon them. The
attack resulted in the utter discomfiture of the assailants. The
immense host fled before Joshua up the mountain pass to Beth-horon;
and having gained the height, they rushed down the precipitous
descent upon the other side. Here a fierce hailstorm burst
upon them. “The Lord cast down great stones from heaven: . . .
they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the
children of Israel slew with the sword.”
While the Amorites were continuing their headlong flight,
intent on finding refuge in the mountain strongholds, Joshua,
looking down from the ridge above, saw that the day would be
too short for the accomplishment of his work. If not fully routed,
their enemies would again rally, and renew the struggle. “Then
spake Joshua to the Lord, . . . and he said in the sight of Israel,
Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley
of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until
the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. . . . The
sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down
about a whole day.”
Before the evening fell, God’s promise to Joshua had been
fulfilled. The entire host of the enemy had been given into his
hand. Long were the events of that day to remain in the memory
of Israel. “There was no day like that before it or after it, that
Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought
for Israel.” “The sun and moon stood still in their habitation:
at the light of Thine arrows they went, and at the shining of
Thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through the land in
indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. Thou wentest
forth for the salvation of Thy people.” Habakkuk 3:11-13.

Page 509

The Spirit of God inspired Joshua’s prayer, that evidence might
again be given of the power of Israel’s God. Hence the request
did not show presumption on the part of the great leader. Joshua
had received the promise that God would surely overthrow these
enemies of Israel, yet he put forth as earnest effort as though
success depended upon the armies of Israel alone. He did all that
human energy could do, and then he cried in faith for divine
aid. The secret of success is the union of divine power with
human effort. Those who achieve the greatest results are those
who rely most implicitly upon the Almighty Arm. The man
who commanded, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou,
Moon, in the valley of Ajalon,” is the man who for hours lay
prostrate upon the earth in prayer in the camp of Gilgal. The
men of prayer are the men of power.
This mighty miracle testifies that the creation is under the
control of the Creator. Satan seeks to conceal from men the
divine agency in the physical world—to keep out of sight the
unwearied working of the first great cause. In this miracle all
who exalt nature above the God of nature stand rebuked.
At His own will God summons the forces of nature to
overthrow the might of His enemies—“fire, and hail; snow, and
vapor; stormy wind fulfilling His word.” Psalm 148:8. When the
heathen Amorites had set themselves to resist His purposes, God
interposed, casting down “great stones from heaven” upon the
enemies of Israel. We are told of a greater battle to take place in
the closing scenes of earth’s history, when “Jehovah hath opened
His armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of His
indignation.” Jeremiah 50:25. “Hast thou,” he inquires, “entered
into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures
of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
against the day of battle and war?” Job 38:22, 23.
The revelator describes the destruction that is to take place
when the “great voice out of the temple of heaven” announces,
“It is done.” He says, “There fell upon men a great hail out of
heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent.” Revelation 16:17, 21.